Strength Training Tips & Routines

I’m curious to see what everyone’s strength training routine looks like—what kind of movements are you all actually hitting? Also, how much downtime do you give yourselves between sets when targeting a specific muscle group?

Here’s a rough breakdown of what my current split looks like:
Push-ups: 5 sets of 20 reps
Pull-ups: 8 sets of 8 (splitting them into 4 sets with narrow grip and 4 sets with wide grip)
4 sets of 10 reps of that one move—you know, where you grab two parallel bars and lift your entire body weight up using just your arms😕 )
So, what does your lineup look like?

Try adding some squats, sit-ups, bench dips (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tBenchDip.html), and standard dumbbell exercises to your routine.

This might be useful for you:
http://www.exrx.net/
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Make sure to keep your rest periods between sets short.

jadestag84 said:4 sets of 10 (I can't recall the exact name of this exercise: you grab two parallel bars and pull yourself up to

Is it not this? 😬

Same goes for biceps—doing pull-ups on a bar set above you. Personally, I like mixing up my bodyweight stuff with the heavy barbell basics—standard bench, incline, wide, narrow, all that... plus overhead presses with varying grips. For biceps, I hit the EZ bar while seated and straight bar curls with a wider grip. For legs, it’s squats or barbell calf raises with the weight behind my neck. I swear by decline sit-ups and back extensions, especially when I'm holding a plate for extra weight. If I'm feeling particularly pumped one day, I'll throw in some dumbbell work—like single-arm rows on a flat bench and stuff. Muhammad Ali style guard drills and wrestling/ground sparring are also killer for conditioning and raw strength.

mistycrane14 said:isn't this exactly it? 😬

That’s the nail on the head right there! Thanks for the pointers—I'm going to start putting them to work immediately.👍

I grab some 5 lb weights for each hand and do shadowboxing... people say that's supposedly terrible for your elbows, but I've never really had any issues.

For legs, I just sit against a wall and hold it for about 60 seconds, then repeat after a rest.

I put 2 lb weights on my ankles and practice my kicks.

That's basically it... I do a million other exercises, mostly targeting smaller muscle groups. I don't bother training big stuff like biceps or triceps specifically.

Henry Stewart2 said:I grab some 10-pound weights, one in each hand, and just go to town with shadowboxing... people claim that’s a recipe for disaster for your elbows, but honestly, I’ve never run into a single issue.

When I hit the gym, I stick to maybe 2 pounds in each hand at most, and frankly, that does the trick perfectly. Trying to swing 10 pounds? That's overkill. You're going to end up wrecking your back and your shoulders. For me, keeping it light around 2 pounds feels like the sweet spot—that's how we usually train.

Daniel Garcia said:The same goes for biceps—doing pull-ups on a bar positioned above you. Personally, I mix my own bodyweight movements with standard barbell lifts. I’ll hit classic bench presses and incline presses using wide, medium, and narrow grips, plus overhead presses with three different widths. For biceps, I use a seated EZ-bar curl and standing barbell curls with a wider grip. For legs, I stick to squats or overhead barbell lunges. I also swear by incline sit-ups and back extensions, especially when holding a weight plate. If I’m feeling extra pumped on a given day, I’ll throw in some dumbbell work, like single-arm horizontal rows on a bench and stuff like that.

Actually, ignore that... you aren't a bodybuilder, you're a fighter. You don't need every single isolation exercise for every muscle, otherwise you'll spend way too much time stuck in the gym. Just go two or three times a week for 45 minutes to an hour. Stick to the "big" lifts—bench press, deadlifts, rows, squats, core work, and pull-ups. Avoid the machines, the cable towers, and all that nonsense. Focus on building explosive power rather than just absolute strength (look up "plyometrics"). In the gym, that means performing the concentric part of the movement as fast as possible while using the same weight you'd use for a standard strength session.

Henry Stewart2 said:I grab a 10-pound dumbbell for each hand and just go to town on some shadowboxing. People claim that’s a recipe for disaster for your elbows, but honestly? I've never had a single issue.

For leg day, I just sit against the wall and hold that position for about 60 seconds. Then I take a breather and go again.

I've started wearing 5-pound ankle weights while practicing my roundhouse and front kicks. It's working.

And so it goes... I’m still grinding through a million different exercises, mostly targeting all those smaller muscle groups. I don't bother with specific isolation work for the big hitters like biceps or triceps.

I might be able to pull off some full extensions with kettlebells in my hands, but honestly? Don't even think about messing around with ankle weights.👎

rustyangler02 said:just ignore that... you aren't trying to be a bodybuilder, you're a fighter—you don't need every single isolation move just to waste hours in the gym... hit the big lifts twice or three times a week for maybe 45 mins to an hour—think bench, deadlifts, rows, squats, core, pull-ups—stay away from those machines and pulley nonsense... focus on explosive power instead of just raw strength (look up 'plyometrics') which basically means doing the 'up' part of the movement as fast as possible using standard weight...

FBI, that’s pretty much my routine. I hit the weights twice a week right after my bag work at the gym. Basically, I do fast sets of compound movements that hit as many muscles as possible so they actually help me fight. Plus, I throw in some plyo work with my own body weight before that, then go into bag drills and shadowboxing with wrist and ankle weights...

rustyangler02 said:Hand weights might be okay—if you don't go full extension on the punch... but honestly, stay far away from ankle weights. Just don't do it...👎

So... knees are giving out? ...

Daniel Garcia said:So, what's happening with the knees?

Look, I'm only 19 and my knees are already acting up from all that shadowboxing and hitting thin air. Honestly, if I'm having issues now, I can't even imagine what would happen if I were actually training with heavy weights. I wouldn't recommend it. Knee issues are no joke. For leg work, stick to a heavy bag or focus mitts. When you're just shadowboxing, stay focused on technique. Leave the raw speed and power out of it.

Daniel Garcia said:The FBI approach is pretty much what I do. I hit the weights twice a week after finishing up my solo gym sessions with the heavy bags. I stick to fast-paced sets using compound movements—stuff that actually translates to fighting. Before that, I get some plyometrics in with my own body weight, followed by bag work and shadowboxing with wrist and ankle weights.

What kind of plyometrics are you doing? Any specific exercises?

rustyangler02 said:Just ignore that... you aren't trying to be a bodybuilder here, you're training to fight. You don't need some specific exercise for every single tiny muscle group, otherwise you'll end up spending half your life stuck in the gym. Stick to two or three sessions a week, maybe 45 minutes to an hour. Focus on the big compound lifts—bench press, deadlifts, rows, squats, core work, pull-ups. Skip the machines, the cable towers, and all that other nonsense. You want explosive power, not just raw absolute strength (look up 'plyometrics'). In practical terms, that means hitting the concentric part of the movement as fast as possible using weights similar to what you'd use for standard strength training.

👍 🙏

Just give the Kettlebell a shot.

I've been doing shadowboxing with 5kg dumbbells for nearly a decade now. No major issues, though my elbows were a bit sore at the start. I just do about 50 slow-motion strikes per hand—sets of 10—plus some light footwork in stance with hands up. That’s basically it.

As for the knees, I guess it varies from person to person. I actually tore my ligaments in a car accident, yet I can wear 2kg weights on each leg without any trouble at all.

rustyangler02, it's possible you need to strengthen your tendons and ligaments. Maybe try some yoga, Pilates, or something similar...

Henry Stewart2 said:rustyangler02, you might just need to strengthen those tendons and ligaments. Try some yoga, Pilates, or something along those lines...

Me, try yoga or Pilates???? You've gotta be kidding me...

rustyangler02 said:try yoga or pilates???? you gotta be kidding me...

Man, you’d be shocked at how intense those yoga and pilates sessions actually get. I’m with tiger on this one—way too much strain on the ligaments for my liking.